This season brings holiday cheer, but it also brings coughs and sniffles. When illness keeps passing from person to person in the same household, it is time for some serious antibacterial cleansing.
This spray is ideal for toilet handles, light switches, doorknobs, phones, and anything else that is frequently touched by everyone in the home. While this is primarily an antibacterial spray, the orange oil lends some anti-viral action, as well!
You will need:
1/2 cup distilled water
1/2 cup vodka
25 drops sweet orange oil
15 drops lavender oil
15 drops eucalyptus oil
Mix well and store in a spray bottle. Shake prior to use.
Friday, January 16, 2015
baby vapor rub
While standard eucalyptus vapor rubs are reliable and safe ways to promote clear breathing, they are not suitable for children under the age of two. This whole herb option is much more gentle and still brings about soothing relief. For babies 6 months and older, up to 1/2 teaspoon can be applied to the chest.
You will need:
.25 ounces eucalyptus leaves
.25 ounces peppermint leaves
2.5 ounces coconut oil
.5 ounces beeswax
Combine the herbs and coconut oil in an oven-proof bowl or jar. Heat the oven to 300 degrees, then turn it off. Place the herb and oil blend into the oven. Let sit for 3-4 hours, then remove. Strain out the herbs, then pour the infused oil back into the oven-proof container. Add the beeswax and return to the oven until beeswax has melted. (Reheat the oven, if necessary.) This should only take about 5-10 minutes. Pour into the container of your choice and cool to harden.
You will need:
.25 ounces eucalyptus leaves
.25 ounces peppermint leaves
2.5 ounces coconut oil
.5 ounces beeswax
Combine the herbs and coconut oil in an oven-proof bowl or jar. Heat the oven to 300 degrees, then turn it off. Place the herb and oil blend into the oven. Let sit for 3-4 hours, then remove. Strain out the herbs, then pour the infused oil back into the oven-proof container. Add the beeswax and return to the oven until beeswax has melted. (Reheat the oven, if necessary.) This should only take about 5-10 minutes. Pour into the container of your choice and cool to harden.
Saturday, January 10, 2015
Boost your metabolism naturally!
Boost your metabolism naturally with this low calorie Detox Drink. Day Spa Apple Cinnamon Water has very few calories, less than 10 per serving. Put down the diet sodas and crystal light and try this out for a week. You will drop weight and have TONS ON ENERGY! sounds yummy!
Makes one big pitcher, re-fill water 3-4 times before replacing apples and cinnamon-
What’s needed:
2 Organic Apple's thinly slice (Whatever your favorite is)
2 Cinnamon Sticks
Large Pitcher
Ice Cubes
Drop apple slices in the bottom of the pitcher (save a few to drop in your glass later) and then the cinnamon stick, cover with ice about 1/2 way through then with water. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving.
Makes one big pitcher, re-fill water 3-4 times before replacing apples and cinnamon-
What’s needed:
2 Organic Apple's thinly slice (Whatever your favorite is)
2 Cinnamon Sticks
Large Pitcher
Ice Cubes
Drop apple slices in the bottom of the pitcher (save a few to drop in your glass later) and then the cinnamon stick, cover with ice about 1/2 way through then with water. Place in the fridge for 10 minutes before serving.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Imagine having a recipe for this!
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:
This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook with spelling errors and all.
WASHING CLOTHES
Build far in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in bawlin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work dark britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and bawl, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew up a cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
Years ago an Alabama grandmother gave the new bride the following recipe:
This is an exact copy as written and found in an old scrapbook with spelling errors and all.
WASHING CLOTHES
Build far in backyard to heat kettle of rain water. Set tubs so smoke wont blow in eyes if wind is pert.
Shave one hole cake of lie soap in bawlin water.
Sort things, make 3 piles
1 pile white,
1 pile colored,
1 pile work dark britches and rags.
To make starch, stir flour in cool water to smooth, then thin down with boiling water.
Take white things, rub dirty spots on board, scrub hard, and bawl, then rub colored don't boil just wrench and starch.
Take things out of kettle with broom stick handle, then wrench, and starch.
Hang old rags on fence.
Spread tea towels on grass.
Pore wrench water in flower bed. Scrub porch with hot soapy water. Turn tubs upside down.
Go put on clean dress, smooth hair with hair combs. Brew up a cup of tea, sit and rock a spell and count your blessings.
Mosquito spray.....
... I was at a deck party awhile back, and the bugs were having a ball biting everyone. A man at the party sprayed the lawn and deck floor with Listerine, and the little demons disappeared.
The next year I filled a 4-ounce spray bottle and used it around my seat whenever I saw mosquitoes. And voila! That worked as well. It worked at a picnic where we sprayed the area around the food table, the children's swing area, and the standing water nearby.
------------------
OUR FRIEND'S COMMENTS:
I tried this on my deck and around all of my doors. It works - in fact, it killed them instantly. I bought my bottle from Target and it cost me $1.89. It really doesn't take much, and it is a big bottle, too; so it is not as expensive to use as the can of spray you buy that doesn't last 30 minutes. So, try this, please. It will last a couple of days. Don't spray directly on a wood door (like your front door), but spray around the frame. Spray around the window frames, and even inside the dog house
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
There are some tried and true remedies that worked effectively and efficiently years and years ago. Somehow, these got lost in the myriad of drugs and medications flooding the market to help people get a quick fix on their condition. Unfortunately, these so called quick fixes do not have a long lasting effect and could even make the problem worse or create new ones. I realize we live in a hurry up and wait society. But sometimes you have to do what is more beneficial for your body if you want it to continue functioning for you at a good speed.
Before the days of Tylenol and Viagra, people made their own concoctions to treat everything from acne to indigestion.
Old Time Remedies made from herbs and native plants are
commonly used by mountain folk. People live off the land and utilize
plants for food and medicinal purposes. Some plants are safe to eat
but others are dangerous or can be fatal.
Herbs were used for food and medicine long before records were
kept documenting their use. The first documented account of herb
use was in about 2000 B.C. in Babylon. From these remote times
myths and legends grew and were passed down, generation by
generation, about the powerful affects of herbs and other native
plants. Over the years, discovering which plants were useful was
much a matter of trial and error.
It seems that with the development of modern medicine much of the
knowledge relating to herbal treatments has been lost. Although
formulations of many herbs and plants are used in modern day
medicines, often times there are no documented studies confirming
or denying the medicinal properties of others. Many health
conscious people these days are turning away from prescription
drugs and growing their own herb gardens and turning to making
their own remedies. Healing with herbs and other natural remedies
is becoming popular again but making your own medicines is quite
an art.
Remember! Herbal remedies are not one-shot wonder cures. Their
effectiveness is based largely on a gradual cure. If you have medical
issues always consult your physician.
How to Make and Use Herb Preparations
Making your own herbal concoctions is really not that difficult. And since
the best herbal preparations are those made when the plants are fresh,
the better off you are to grow your own herbs and make your own
preparations. They made a beautiful addition to any garden.
Even your best plants can be ruined if you use the wrong process in
preparing your remedies. Your choice depends on the parts of the plant
to be used, the form in which the remedy will be taken, and the desired
result.
The following ways of preparing your fresh herbs are those most
commonly used in herbal medicine. Always use an enamel or non-
metallic pot.
Herbal Teas: To make a cup of herbal tea, for drinking or as a
face wash, boil 10 ounces of water. Pre-warm your teapot, put in
1 tbsp or less of dried herbs or a large pinch of fresh herbs, and
pour the boiling water over them. Add honey if you like. Cover and
steep to taste, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and drink
Infusion: This is a beverage made like tea, combining boiled water
with the plants and steeping it to extract the active ingredients. The
normal amounts are about 1/2 to 1 ounce of the plant per pint of
boiled water. You should let the mixture steep for 5 to 10 minutes,
covered, then strain the infusion into a cup. Add honey, if desired.
Cold Extract: Preparing herbs with cold water preserves the most
volatile ingredients, while extracting only minor amounts of mineral
salts and bitter principles. Add about double the plant matter used
for an infusion to cold water and let sit for about 8 to 12 hours,
strain and drink.
Decoction: This method of preparation allows you to extract
primarily the mineral salts and bitter principles, rather than
vitamins and volatile ingredients. Boil about half an ounce of plant
parts usually made from the tougher parts of the plant: the roots,
seeds or bark per cup of water for up to 4 minutes. Steep the
mixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.
Juice: Chop and press fresh plant parts to make juice, then add
water and press again. This is excellent for getting vitamins and
minerals from the plant. Drink the juice right away for the best
results.
Syrup: Make a basic syrup to which you will add medicinal
ingredients by boiling 3 pounds of raw brown sugar in a pint of
water until it reaches the right consistency.
Powder: Grind your dried plant parts until you have a powder. The
powder can be taken with water, milk, soup, or swallowed in
gelatin capsules.
Ointment: Quick method - combine well one part of your powdered
remedy with four parts of hot petroleum jelly or lard. For purists -
add the decoction of the desired herb to olive oil and simmer until
the water has completely evaporated. Add beeswax as needed to
get a firm consistency. Some gum benzoin or a drop of tincture of
benzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve the ointment.
Essence: Dissolve one ounce of the herb's essential oil in a pint of
alcohol. This method preserves the volatile oils of many plants
which are not water soluble.
Poultice: To make a poultice, you just crush the medicinal parts of
the plant to a sticky mass and heat. Mix with a hot, sticky
substance such as moist flour or corn meal. Apply the pasty
mixture directly to the skin. Wrap a hot towel around and moisten
the towel periodically. A poultice will draw impurities from the body.
Herb Bath: Herbal baths include the use of various herbal
additives to enhance the natural healing power of the water. They
are baths to which plant decoctions or infusions have been added.
There are full and partial herbal baths. For a full bath some of the
medicinal plant parts should be sewn into a cloth bag and boiled
in a quart of water. The strained mixture is then added to the bath.
Sometimes you can put the bag right into the tub for a more
thorough extraction of the herbal properties.
Before the days of Tylenol and Viagra, people made their own concoctions to treat everything from acne to indigestion.
Old Time Remedies made from herbs and native plants are
commonly used by mountain folk. People live off the land and utilize
plants for food and medicinal purposes. Some plants are safe to eat
but others are dangerous or can be fatal.
Herbs were used for food and medicine long before records were
kept documenting their use. The first documented account of herb
use was in about 2000 B.C. in Babylon. From these remote times
myths and legends grew and were passed down, generation by
generation, about the powerful affects of herbs and other native
plants. Over the years, discovering which plants were useful was
much a matter of trial and error.
It seems that with the development of modern medicine much of the
knowledge relating to herbal treatments has been lost. Although
formulations of many herbs and plants are used in modern day
medicines, often times there are no documented studies confirming
or denying the medicinal properties of others. Many health
conscious people these days are turning away from prescription
drugs and growing their own herb gardens and turning to making
their own remedies. Healing with herbs and other natural remedies
is becoming popular again but making your own medicines is quite
an art.
Remember! Herbal remedies are not one-shot wonder cures. Their
effectiveness is based largely on a gradual cure. If you have medical
issues always consult your physician.
How to Make and Use Herb Preparations
Making your own herbal concoctions is really not that difficult. And since
the best herbal preparations are those made when the plants are fresh,
the better off you are to grow your own herbs and make your own
preparations. They made a beautiful addition to any garden.
Even your best plants can be ruined if you use the wrong process in
preparing your remedies. Your choice depends on the parts of the plant
to be used, the form in which the remedy will be taken, and the desired
result.
The following ways of preparing your fresh herbs are those most
commonly used in herbal medicine. Always use an enamel or non-
metallic pot.
Herbal Teas: To make a cup of herbal tea, for drinking or as a
face wash, boil 10 ounces of water. Pre-warm your teapot, put in
1 tbsp or less of dried herbs or a large pinch of fresh herbs, and
pour the boiling water over them. Add honey if you like. Cover and
steep to taste, 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and drink
Infusion: This is a beverage made like tea, combining boiled water
with the plants and steeping it to extract the active ingredients. The
normal amounts are about 1/2 to 1 ounce of the plant per pint of
boiled water. You should let the mixture steep for 5 to 10 minutes,
covered, then strain the infusion into a cup. Add honey, if desired.
Cold Extract: Preparing herbs with cold water preserves the most
volatile ingredients, while extracting only minor amounts of mineral
salts and bitter principles. Add about double the plant matter used
for an infusion to cold water and let sit for about 8 to 12 hours,
strain and drink.
Decoction: This method of preparation allows you to extract
primarily the mineral salts and bitter principles, rather than
vitamins and volatile ingredients. Boil about half an ounce of plant
parts usually made from the tougher parts of the plant: the roots,
seeds or bark per cup of water for up to 4 minutes. Steep the
mixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.
Juice: Chop and press fresh plant parts to make juice, then add
water and press again. This is excellent for getting vitamins and
minerals from the plant. Drink the juice right away for the best
results.
Syrup: Make a basic syrup to which you will add medicinal
ingredients by boiling 3 pounds of raw brown sugar in a pint of
water until it reaches the right consistency.
Powder: Grind your dried plant parts until you have a powder. The
powder can be taken with water, milk, soup, or swallowed in
gelatin capsules.
Ointment: Quick method - combine well one part of your powdered
remedy with four parts of hot petroleum jelly or lard. For purists -
add the decoction of the desired herb to olive oil and simmer until
the water has completely evaporated. Add beeswax as needed to
get a firm consistency. Some gum benzoin or a drop of tincture of
benzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve the ointment.
Essence: Dissolve one ounce of the herb's essential oil in a pint of
alcohol. This method preserves the volatile oils of many plants
which are not water soluble.
Poultice: To make a poultice, you just crush the medicinal parts of
the plant to a sticky mass and heat. Mix with a hot, sticky
substance such as moist flour or corn meal. Apply the pasty
mixture directly to the skin. Wrap a hot towel around and moisten
the towel periodically. A poultice will draw impurities from the body.
Herb Bath: Herbal baths include the use of various herbal
additives to enhance the natural healing power of the water. They
are baths to which plant decoctions or infusions have been added.
There are full and partial herbal baths. For a full bath some of the
medicinal plant parts should be sewn into a cloth bag and boiled
in a quart of water. The strained mixture is then added to the bath.
Sometimes you can put the bag right into the tub for a more
thorough extraction of the herbal properties.
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